Terminal assembly

ABSTRACT

A terminal assembly which includes a terminal conductor attached to electrical equipment and having a clearance hole therein, a washer which may be in the form of a channel and having a threaded hole and a screw extending through the clearance hole and engaging the threaded hole.

United States Patent 1191 Hirano et al.

1451 Apr. 9, 1974 1 TERMINAL ASSEMBLY [75] Inventors: Yukio Hirano, Tokyo; Tateo Yoda,

Tobu, both of Japan [73] Assignee: Nittan Company Limited, Tokyo,

Japan [22 Filed: June 28,1972

211 App]. No.: 267,020

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 21, 1971 Japan 46/63868 [52] US. Cl 339/263 R [51] Int. Cl I-I0lr 11/10 [58] Field of Search 339/263, 266

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,304,711 12/1942 Shenton 339/266 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,253,326 11/1967 Germany 339/266 R 345,676 5/1960 Switzerland... 339/266 R 240,939 6/1965 Germany 339/266 R Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn 5 7 ABSTRACT A terminal assembly which includes a terminal conductor attached to electrical equipment and having a clearance hole therein, a washer which may be in the form of a channel and having a threaded hole and a screw extending through the clearance hole and engaging the threaded hole.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures TERMINAL ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a terminal assembly comprising a terminal conductor, a washer and a tightening screw, and which is especially useful for connecting a lead wire to electrical equipment.

A typical terminal assembly according to prior art includes a terminal conductor, which is generally flat, to be connected to the electric equipment, a washer adapted to overlie a lead wire conductor to be secured to the terminal conductor, and a screw for tightening the assembly. In the prior terminal assembly, however, the washer has a relatively large hole, the terminal conductor has a threaded hole, the washer is placed on the terminal conductor, the lead wire is placed between the terminal conductor and the washer, and the screw is inserted through the washer and engages the threaded hole in the terminal conductor.

In such a terminal assembly, however, when the screw is loosened, the washer tends to stay at itsposition and does not expand the gap between the terminal conductor and the washer unless the washer is held up by hand or other means. This has been a very troublesome and annoying problem when using prior terminal assemblies.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved terminal assembly which does not involve troublesome hand-work to connect a lead wire to the terminal assembly.

According to this invention, the terminal assembly includes a terminal conductor, a washer and a tightening screw, but the washer has a threaded hole and the terminal conductor has a large hole. The screw is inserted through the terminal conductor to the washer. When the screw is loosened in this arrangement, the gap between the washer and the terminal conductor is positively opened and, therefore, it is unnecessary to open the gap by hand.

This invention will be described hereinunder with reference to the accompanying drawings.

in the Drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view representing a typical example of the terminal assembly according to the prior art, and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view representing a typical embodiment of the terminal assembly according to this invention.

Throughout the drawings, same reference numerals are given to like components.

in HO. 1 the terminal assembly according to prior art consists of a flat terminal conductor 1, a washer member 3 having a U-shaped cross-section which can engage with the terminal conductor 1, and a screw 5; and the terminal conductor 1 has a threaded hole 2 to engage the screw 5, and the washer member 3 has a large hole 4 to clear the screw. When a lead wire 6 is to be connected to the terminal assembly, the screw 5 is loosened, the washer member 3 is held up by hand or the like, the lead wire 6 is inserted in the gap between the terminal conductor 1 and the washer member 3 and then the screw is again tightened.

Referring now to FIG. 2 representing an embodiment of this invention, a washer member 3 is disposed on the opposite side with respect to FIG. 1 and the washer member 3 has a threaded hole 4, while the terminal conductor 1 has a clearance hole 2'. As readilyunderstood, in this arrangement, when the screw 5 is loosened by a screw driver or the like, the washer member 3 is driven downwardly and the gap between the terminal conductor 1 and the washer member 3 is positively opened. Therefore, by inserting the lead wire 6 between this gap and again tightening the screw, the connection is completed. Moreover, when the distance D between the end of the washer 3 and the screw hole 4' is greater than the distance d between the end of the terminal conductor 1 and the clearance hole 2', insertion of the lead wire 6 can be further facilitated.

As described in the above, according to this invention, the improved terminal assembly prevents troublesome and unpleasant supplemental work and improves work efficiency remarkably.

What is claimed is:

l. A terminal assembly comprising a rectangular terminal conductor having an opening therein spaced from an end thereof, a threaded screw slidably engaging said opening, a channel member having a transverse member and a pair of upwardly extending legs, said legs being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of said rectangular member and said transverse member lying beneath said conductor with the legs slidably engaging the sides of said conductor, and a threaded hole in said transverse member for threadably engaging said screw, said threaded hole being spaced inwardly from the end of said channel member a distance greater than the distance between the opening in said conductor and the adjoining end thereof so that said channel member extends slightly beyond the end of said conductor. 

1. A terminal assembly comprising a rectangular terminal conductor having an opening therein spaced from an end thereof, a threaded screw slidably engaging said opening, a channel member having a transverse member and a pair of upwardly extending legs, said legs being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of said rectangular member and said transverse member lying beneath said conductor with the legs slidably engaging the sides of said conductor, and a threaded hole in said transverse member for threadably engaging said screw, said threaded hole being spaced inwardly from the end of said channel member a distance greater than the distance between the opening in said conductor and the adjoining end thereof so that said channel member extends slightly beyond the end of said conductor. 